Tonight's post is making up for the last few weeks - so take your pick as there are a few ideas listed below. Each idea comes with a VERY brief explanation so if one idea jumps out at you, feel free to email for more information.
Think of it as a buffet table of fun information. Take whatever appeals to you.
Answer Garden -
this is a super fun way to gather information. It's easy to set up a question,
send the link out to students and watch your Answer Garden grow. The answers are limited to 20 characters so it takes very little time to complete. This is a great way to introduce orreview a concept as it provides an awesome springboard for discussion.
Another fun way to gather information is called Linoit, an online cork board. It's a great way way for students to add ideas and post to the same "wall". It's been described as a twist to the traditional blog - I call it fun. Students are drawn to this novel approach to sharing their thoughts.
Rube Goldberg - Monster Trap (Video by Audri C., 7 yrs. old, ~ 4 min.)
This delightful young boy enthusiastically describes his Rube Goldberg Monster Trap design, sharing his hypothesis and delighting in the results. It's worth showing to your class - my prediction is that you'll have a room full of students who are cheering, right along with Audri. (It's available via My Big Campus).
Yummy Math - This is a great site for grades 4 - 8. It's a blog written by two teachers and the focus is on relevant math problems. Each week, you can download math scenarios that pertain to what's going on in real life. Awesome for extension and/or collaboration activities.
TodaysMeet
One way to get students engaged is using an approach is called Back Channeling and the easiest way to "Back Channel" is with TodaysMeet. It's been fun to use it while showing a video.
Students can carry on a conversation while watching - a perfect way to apply those digital citizenship expectations!
I recently learned about this site and am eager to share it with you. It's used to explore and document local wildlife. "Noah" is an acronym that stands for "networked organisms and habitats". Some beautiful photos have already been posted and once you set up your class, students can add to this remarkable bank of global contributions.
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| Photo Credit: AP Images / David Duprey |
Since so many of us are trying to perfect the art of multi-tasking, I'd like to share this article with you and encourage all of us to stop and smell those roses - one at a time.
One point I was relieved to read is that listening to music while working is AOK. Phew!
The big take-away for me is that we can do better work if we concentrate on just one thing. I'm eager to give it a try and even though I have Mail, Excel, Calendar, Notebook and a 2nd browser open as I type this post, I'm intrigued to consider the
idea of doing better work - one task at a time.
This blogger, Vickie Davis, was the Keynote at a CUE conference earlier this month. She does great work with global collaboration and also keeps up a blog (not sure how but she does).
I'll end this buffet table of ideas with one particular blog entry from Vickie. It's called "You May Be Walking Around Wounded, But Teacher, Stay in the Game" It resonated with me and I have no doubt it will speak to you as well as I'm fairly certain we all have "those days".
...and there you have it --
I will make every attempt to get back to a weekly post but for now, here's hoping you have found something worthwhile.
-Patsy Templeton
ptempleton@orinda.k12.ca.us
